The besieged king
31/1/13 19:45![[identity profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/openid.png){kind=small}
airiefairie.livejournal.com posting in ![[community profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/community.png){kind=small}
talkpolitics
http://newswatch.nationalgeographic.com/2012/12/06/lion-numbers-plunge-as-african-wilderness-succumbs-to-human-pressure/
"The most comprehensive assessment of lion (Panthera leo) numbers to date determined that Africa’s once-thriving savannahs are undergoing massive land-use conversion and burgeoning human population growth. The decline has had a significant impact on the lions that make their home in these savannahs; their numbers have dropped to as low as 32,000, down from hundreds of thousands estimated just 50 years ago."
Those are the results of an extensive research by the Duke University. At this stage of population decline, once the mighty symbol of power in the animal kingdom could well get into the list of endangered species within the next decade, or sooner. The reason for the catastrophic situation is the rapid decline of lion populaces in the wild, on one side... and the systematic destruction of their natural habitat, on the other. And also the hunting for trophies, which is an illustrious business, along with the trade of lion organs throughout the continent.
Every year, thousands of European, American and Australasian tourists flock into Africa with just one purpose: to shoot a lion and bring his skin home. And, while countries like Kenya, Botswana and Zambia have banned lion hunting, here in South Africa this business has turned into a major industry. There are about 160 lion farms spread throughout the country, with a total populace of 5000 lions, whose only purpose is to meet the huge demand on the trophy market. The little cubs are separated from their mothers very early, this way losing the most basic survival skills. They are offered as a tourist attraction for the visitors who take pictures with them, toss food at them, and treat them as pets. Once the cubs have grown up somewhat and are no longer safe for the tourists, they are used for breeding and upon reaching maturity they are added to the shooting lists. The adult lions are then separated into smaller fenced sectors where the wannabe badass heroes-of-the-rifle can "like" them and "reserve" them, and then shoot them without any difficulty.
The situation has reached a point where the beast that used to be the king of the savannah has gotten so used to human presence that some lions deliberately seek contact with them, they often stand right in front of the tourists' muzzles, and become an easy target. Some are lured with food, and sometimes they are even shot with sleep arrows to slow them down and allow the rookie shooters to hit them more easily. The "hunting" for captive lions has become a huge problem, not only from an ethical standpoint, but because it is additionally increasing public interest to hunting of wild animals, which is what is collapsing entire ecosystems throughout the African continent. Meanwhile, the cubs who are bred in captivity lack any survival skills, and even if subsequently released into the wilderness, they have no chance of living.
The "canned hunt" as it is called, is additionally facilitated by the fact that no special hunting permit is required by South African law, and neither are any particular skills needed. One could easily "reserve" a lion even on the Internet. The price for a male lion, depending on his age, size and distinctive features, can range between 10 and 25 thousand euro. The price for a lioness is much lower, 3000 euro.
There are organisations advocating for the full ban of canned hunting in the country, and they have established parks like Lion Rock, a former ordinary lion farm, which is now transformed into a sanctuary for big cats. 80 of them now live there, gathered from various zoos, breeding/shooting farms and private homes (yes, some wealthy people do own lions just to show off to their business partners). Nowadays, apart from giving these majestic creatures some chance for relative freedom, NGOs like Four Paws provide a proof that lions could indeed be a tourist attraction, without necessarily ending up on some millionaire's floor as carpets.
(no subject)
Date: 31/1/13 17:54 (UTC)So you decide to go on a safari. You spend a small fortune on signing up for an exiting hunt -- the King of the Beasts! You get to your location, and you find your lion in a small cage, and as you prep your rifle, it walks up to you and waits, expectantly.
And you shoot it?
What the hell is wrong with people? If there's any evidence that God doesn't exist, it's that we do this thing, this horrible, monstrous act to animals that have been so abused, they don't even have the ability to protect themselves, because I cannot conceive of a God that would allow this to happen.
(no subject)
Date: 31/1/13 19:08 (UTC)(no subject)
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Date: 31/1/13 19:35 (UTC)(no subject)
Date: 31/1/13 19:45 (UTC)Sorry, no you tube for this one (http://www.soundclick.com/bands/page_songInfo.cfm?bandID=111310&songID=4042487)
(no subject)
Date: 31/1/13 20:15 (UTC)(no subject)
Date: 1/2/13 06:34 (UTC)(no subject)
Date: 4/2/13 17:11 (UTC)When I worked in Germany in '85 I was surprised to hear Bruce Cockburn's "Rocket Launcher" song played on Armed Forces Radio.
And then there is this one:
The movie glosses over some of the grittier aspects of the book such as soldiers shooting rats scampering across the rafters.
(no subject)
Date: 31/1/13 19:38 (UTC)(no subject)
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Date: 1/2/13 03:44 (UTC)The Republican and NRA solution would be to arm the lions with fully automatic military assault weapons and high capacity clips, no background checks necessary.
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Date: 1/2/13 04:37 (UTC)(no subject)
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Date: 31/1/13 18:15 (UTC)The leopard is unique in that it can quickly adapt to a changing environment. It may not be as fast as the cheetah or as strong as the lion, but neither were the humans faster or stronger than many other animals. But leopards were never "meant" to be strong or fast, they rely on cover, blending with their surroundings.
But despite all this, the leopard population has also declined, mostly due to human intervention. The leopard as a whole now has a "near threatened" status worldwide. Leopard hunting is no less profitable than lion hunting, especially for their furs. The world of leopards, too, is shrinking fast, and intermingling with the human world. And sights like these are not uncommon, even outside the designated protected areas:
I know it must look very "cool" that I have been able to make a picture like this from my car, but the fact that this leopard was sighted just a few kilometers away from a big city must cause a few bells ringing. And I can tell you the concern should not be for the people driving the cars.
(no subject)
Date: 31/1/13 18:29 (UTC)(no subject)
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Date: 31/1/13 20:26 (UTC)Who could end it so easily. Bah. I don't even like killing deer with anything but a knife or arrow.
(no subject)
Date: 31/1/13 18:02 (UTC)Shame. Deep shame. Nothing more to say.
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Date: 31/1/13 19:40 (UTC)(no subject)
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Date: 31/1/13 18:41 (UTC)The wild cats population is so depleted in Africa, I'm not sure people realize how serious the situation is. There's even a grassroots push for introducing Indian tigers to Africa (the habitat of the Bengali tiger is now history). But if this were ever done, it has to happen with great caution and strict control on the process. There is room for tigers on this continent, but the measure should be thought through very carefully.
(no subject)
Date: 1/2/13 06:35 (UTC)(no subject)
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Date: 31/1/13 21:11 (UTC)Now they're as thick as pigeons in this town. Just yesterday, in fact, one shat on my windshield.
(no subject)
Date: 31/1/13 23:45 (UTC)As for the lion map, the most depletion seems to be in the north, is desertification going on up there?
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Date: 31/1/13 23:49 (UTC)(no subject)
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Date: 2/2/13 15:44 (UTC)(no subject)
Date: 1/2/13 07:33 (UTC)On a serious note though, the invasion of wildlife habitats and the turning of predators into pets that are bred for shooting, is one of the most shameful displays of human arrogance possibly imaginable.